by Deron Denton

“After a big scare, Delia is now fully recovered.”

Delia had a fever and small, reddish, itchy welts all over her body for about a week. Then, a morning or two after her apparent recovery, she woke up with paralysis in her right hand and leg, couldn’t move her mouth, and was suffering from painful body aches.

Her parents frantically sought help from the staff at a Children International community center in Guayaquil, Ecuador, who swiftly took her to the Roberto Gilbert Children’s Hospital. There, Delia was diagnosed with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain). As a result of the chickenpox, Delia had acquired a viral infection that spread to her brain. Doctors immediately admitted her to the intensive care unit and began giving her a powerful antiviral medication.

For those living in poverty, medical emergencies like this can have dire repercussions, even if the sick person recovers. Fortunately, Children International has a cooperative agreement with the Roberto Gilbert Children’s Hospital (as well as with other hospitals in Ecuador and throughout the world) to provide sponsored youth like Delia with health care needs that they likely could not otherwise receive.

In Delia’s case, the hospital is a 45-minute bus ride from her home. With Delia hospitalized for an entire month – receiving three shots a day – one of her parents needed to be with her, so they took turns staying with Delia in the hospital. Her outpatient therapy lasted another five months after discharge. As a result of their missed time from work, both parents lost their jobs.

“Delia was prescribed a very expensive medication,” said Delia’s father. “They were shots, and she needed 28 of them. Children International helped me with 22 shots and I bought the rest. They also helped with 50 percent of the hospitalization. My daughter was in a critical situation and without that help I wouldn’t have been able to support her.”

Without assistance, the poor can sometimes scrape together enough money to pay for the necessary treatment – although that might mean selling necessities like household items, bicycles (which often serve as a primary means of transportation), or even clothes. Those who are less fortunate desperately turn to herbal folk remedies that treat symptoms or simply don’t work at all.

Had Delia’s condition gone untreated, she could have remained partially paralyzed on her right side – or it could have been even worse. Although Delia’s parents are again seeking steady work, they are grateful to have their daughter back, healthy and whole.